Friday, August 28, 2009

Last time I wrote about Wanted 2, it was to talk about the fact that Fox, Angelina Jolie’s character from the original film, might return. At that point, many things pointed to the liklihood of that actually happening being pretty low. But a couple of days ago I missed a piece on MTV (because I’m no longer used to them posting anything that isn’t Twilight-related) in which director Timur Bekmambetov talks about having cracked an idea to feature Fox once more.

Top Cow Productions has announced a tentative November 18, 2009 for Pilot Season: Murderer #1, the collaboration between Image Comics partners Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri. From a story by the two creators, Kirkman will script, artist Nelson Blake II will illustrated, and Silvestri will provide the cover for the issue, which tells the story of Jason Sparks.

Last we heard from the "Magdalena" camp, the upcoming adaptation of the Top Cow property had landed "Midnight Meat Train" director Ryûhei Kitamura to helm the project, with "The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations" writer Holly Brix penning the screenplay.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Simply put, this was a fun comic. I've said it before, Top Cow really does a great job with the crossovers. They're not forced confrontations that has two characters fighting against each other. It's going to be really interesting to see how Jackie carries himself in Pitt's world against the Creed. I can't tell you how long I've waited to read more about Pitt. Having Jackie join him is just going to make the trip that much more enjoyable.

The old saying is “Sex Sells’ and that’s certainly true when it comes to comic books. Comic artists know this better than anyone and so to get their predominantly male audiences interested in female characters, they have long clad them in outfits that would make the average Victoria’s Secret model blush.

Over two years in the making, this story brings a great deal of action and violence to the printed page. It also brings back the fabulous Dale Keown. Keown's art alone makes this book well worth the price of admission. Be warned, however, that this is not a book to be read while eating dinner. The gore Keown draws in the pages of this first issue would give any child's mother a heart attack should she happen to pick this book up to see what her young child is reading.

Of all the things I want to witness in comics, for the most part this comic brings it to the table...and some more! I am of course missing the segment "hot babes" but that can be hopefully mended (*wink wink*) in future issues of this sizzling miniseries.

From the creative minds of Image partners Robert Kirkman & Marc Silvestri!Jason Sparks is cursed. His every waking moment is bombarded with the thoughts of those around him. Every dirty little secret, every hidden desire, screamed at him in a cacophony of voices in his head. The only way to silence these voices, the only thing that brings him a moment of piece... is murder. But he's trying to use his powers for good.

Top Cow “Publisher Guy” Filip Sablik, fills us in at the end of this book with “Good things come to those who wait.” He tells us the creative team of Jenkins, Keown and D’Armata have been very busy, that the books will ship without delay! Oh, and he proves it with a preview of issue number two!

Impaler is one of those high concept books that runs the risk of settling to the bottom of the stack. A book about vampires by a team that I’m not really familiar with… I don’t know. But, Matt Timson’s art style brings this dreary realism that immediately haunts the reader. Somehow, Timson is able to cast a heavy dark mood and a feeling that the world is eroding while providing a bright, sympathetic clarity to potential victims of this catastrophe.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Ever since the Top Cow imprint was founded in 1992, it has earned a reputation of having some of the most outstanding art in comics, sometimes to the detriment of its stories, if you listen to some critics. That audacious artistic legacy is on display in this handsome hardcover, coffee-table sized offering from Top Cow. In over 350 sumptuous pages, the finest Top Cow artists and their work are on display.

Why does it feel as if something is about to go wrong, it most certainly will. For me, it sometimes seems predestined that when our lives are meant to go downhill, the hill seems to cave in on itself and bring us down with it. But why also does it seem when the odds of destiny look stacked against us, all we can do is try and fight it? Is our stubbornness intrinsically human? Could it be a strength born of constant challenge, or brought on by something more divine?

Were you ever afraid of the dark? I know I was. As a child, be it the deep black of night or just the dusty dark of a shadowy hallway, I always felt terror. Even now as an adult, I can’t help but think twice about trekking into areas where I cannot see. Perhaps now it is even worse, for even though my minds logic tells me my fears are unwarranted, my imagination can’t help but run away with itself.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Sara has embraced the dark side of the Witchblade. Her blood red hands are a sign of the blood she could spill. She has become evil. She controls the darkness and what lies inside it. Sara is awesome in her full armor. She is a warrior like no other. The artwork is gorgeous and Sara looks so beautiful in a evil killer way. Dani looks amazing as well.

Witchblade #129 is driven by the action that Ron Marz uses to shake the status quo of the series. The battle between Sara and Dani is intense, questions are answered, and the future of the Witchblade series is made a little bit more clear. In other words, the latest Witchblade delivers where it matters most with an event like The War of the Witchblades going on.

Friday, August 21, 2009

"The action is really great here, lots of big clash moments and it’s all handled smoothly and it moves along nicely even though it doesn’t flood the comic and we get plenty of good dialogue moments between the two warring Witchblades."

“War of the Witchblades” has been an action-packed battle, and now, with this penultimate issue in the storyline, it is blatantly clear that there will be no going back. In Witchblade #129, we see Sara and Dani at their absolute extremes. Sara, the dark side of the Witchblade, has unleashed her power on an unsuspecting New York City, summoning hundreds of Darkling-like creatures to serve her. She has taken on a new form, and there appears to be very little of Sara Pezzini left in her; she is succumbing to darkness.

Midnight Nation is a thought-provoking story with religious overtones about a police officer in limbo who goes on a cross-country search for his soul but encounters some mighty obstacles along the way. When it first came out in 2000, J. Michael Straczynski’s provocative storytelling and the fantastic art of Gary Frank (Action Comics, Squadron Supreme) captivated readers with its mix of action, horror and drama built around a message of hope, loyalty and sacrifice.

Image Comics has released solicitation information and images for new books and products shipping in November, 2009. When you're through checking out these solicitations for new Image releases, be sure to visit CBR's Image Comics forum to discuss these titles and products with fellow readers and fans.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that they will be expanding the deluxe edition hard cover containing Broken Trinity to include First Born. The limited edition volume will now contain both epic crossover miniseries that forever altered the course of the Top Cow universe. Presented in a new oversize prestige format, the 352 page First Born/Broken Trinity Deluxe Hard Cover collects all three issues of Broken Trinity, the three tie-in issues featuring The Darkness, Angelus, and Witchblade, and Broken Trinity: Aftermath. In addition, the collection will now also include all three issues of First Born as well as the Harvey Award winning tie-in issues of Witchblade #110–112. The hard cover also reprints the previously uncollected First Born: Aftermath, making the entirety of the First Born epic available in a single volume for the first time.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Last month, the action started to pick up again as Jackie regained control of his life and his Darklings, the hilarious little monsters who have been sorely missed. Now, Estacado’s mission is clear: he needs to destroy the Sovereign, who has made his life hell (moreso than usual) in recent months. This is no easy task, since Sovereign can take form in a number of specially designated statues around the world. That’s okay, though; Jackie Estacado has time, money, and after this issue, a kickass crew.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Welcome to another edition of Controlling the Darkness where Phil Hester and I discuss all things Darkness related. Issue #79 had Jackie's new crew forming, a game plan set up and the story gaining new ground. So let's jump right in!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Comic book fans are always looking for that one name that will impress their non-reading friends and magically make comic books cool in the eyes of the uninitiated. "See? So-and-so reads comics and he's a famous person!"Lately, it hasn't been that hard to do. But Jeff Katz, founder of the new comics and film production company American Original, is making it easier with his San Diego Comic-Con announcement of the talent for his new Comedy Death Ray comic book.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that Phil Hester, the current writer for The Darkness, will take over artistic duties on the series for “Bog,” a special two-part story which he has also written. “Bog” begins in The Darkness #80 which is solicited for a September 2009 release and will conclude the following month in The Darkness #81.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Ron Marz is on the side of the angels. Want proof? Just look at the comic books he's got in the pipeline – at Comic-Con International, it was revealed that the acclaimed "Witchblade" scribe will pen an ongoing "Magdalena" series and an "Angelus" miniseries that spins out of the events of "War of the Witchblades." Marz spoke exclusively with CBR News about the two new projects coming out of Top Cow Productions.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that Phil Hester, the current writer for The Darkness, will take over artistic duties on the series for “Bog,” a special two-part story which he has also written. “Bog” begins in The Darkness #80which is solicited for a September 2009 release and will conclude the following month in The Darkness #81. Phil Hester, whose previous art credits for Top Cow include the Daredevil/Magdalena one-shot, has been the sole writer for the third volume of The Darkness since its launch in 2007. The Darkness #80 marks the first time that his art will accompany his writing in the series. READ MORE.

Tracker is awesome. I read through this very fast, twice! If you watch CSI, NCIS, Horrors, or even X-Files then you should like this. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Beast from the X—Men went on a killing spree? This would be somewhat like that.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

"One of the benefits of living in Los Angeles, is a thriving comic book community. I had the pleasure recently of having dinner with some comic folks including a retailer and a fellow area publisher. We got to talking about the state of the industry and what was working and wasn’t working. These conversations are almost always both sobering and inspiring for me."

Phil Hester has been shaking up The Darkness, pumping out one solid issue after another in style. Unless you’ve been living under a rock here at GEN and you still think Dick Grayson is Robin, you’ve probably figured out that The Darkness has become one of my favorite comics

This is without a doubt the bloodiest comic you’ll ever read. If you’ve seen Punisher: War Zone or Midnight Meat Train recently, this will be right up your alley. It’s received a fair amount of press due to it’s blood soaked pages. However...

On sale in October is Tracker: First Look, which is a peek at Top Cow’s new mini-series, Tracker which launches in November. This First Look was previously only available at last month’s Comic-Con. At the Cow panel at the Con it was mentioned that Tracker would be a new look at werewolves, with serial killers thrown in. Now with this special issue we get the full story, or at least the beginning of it.

The bone-crushing new series produced by Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia and DiVide Pictures continues this month!Farris and Aaron, the two young men afflicted with uncontrollable powers fueled by anger, find out that their outbursts have deadly consequences.